Automatic gas-lighter.



J. G. LANDES. AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1907 Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Wit" zoom PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. LANDES. OF COLLEGEVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC GAS-LIGHTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. LANnEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Collegeville, county of Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Automatic Gas-Lighter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in automatic gas lighterssimilar to the form shown in my Letters Patent No. 870,891, patentedNovember 12th, 1907, the object being not only to seal the movablemembers within the top of the casing so as to prevent leakage of gastherein but also to automatically light the burner by the movement ofthe movable parts and to automatically extinguish the same.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a lighter embodying myinvention: Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section thereof. Fig. 3represents in elevation, the device for actuating the valve controllingthe burner. Fig. i represents a sectional View of a portion of theigniter.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings. A designates the exterior casing of thedevice, the same being open at the top and practically closed at thebottom.

B designates the interior casing which is suitably'supported by the baseC of the casing A and is open at the top and closed at the bottomexcepting for the ports hereinafter designated.

D designates a rising and falling vessel or float which is closed at thetop and open at the bottom, the sides of the said vessel beinginterposed in the space or chamber E be tween the side walls of thecasings A and B.

In said space is placed a quantity of meronly as F, into which thevessel D dips and forms a seal for the bottom of the latter.

Connected with a suitable portion of the base C is a pipe G whichsupplies gas to the burner H.

Suitably fitted upon the pipe G is a rising and falling pipe J, which issuitably connected with the vessel G and to which pipe is secured theplate K, the latter carrying an arm L having a movable connection withthe linkM which is also movably connected with the lever N, said leverbeing suitably mounted and having a spring actuated dog E suitablyconnected and adapted to engage upon upward movement, with a tooth YSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 23, 1907.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Serial No. 358,765.

of the ratchet F, which is connected with the stem G. of the valve onthe interior of the casing P, said valve controlling the flow of gasthrough the pipe G, it being understood that the valve is so arrangedthat upon upward movement of the pawl E and proper rotation of the stemG, it will permit the flow of gas through the pipe G to the burner andupon the next upward movement of the pawl E, it will actuate the valveto close the flow of gas to the burner.

Q designates an insulated block suitably supported on the casing A fromwhich extends the rod R carrying one member of the contact device.Suitably connected with the plate K is the standard S which carries theother member T of the contact device and which is normally out ofcontact with the member carried-by the rod R, which latter is situatedin the path of movement of the contact member T.

Carried by the standard S and insulated therefrom is the cage or shell Hwhich is in suitable connection with the contact piece T and on theinterior of which is a stem J,

-which is 'in suitable connection with the cage H, a filament or wire Kbeing suitably connected with said stein J and also with a second stem Lwhich is insulated from the cage H but is in contact with the standardS.

- U designates a battery having a conductor V in suitable connectionwith the rod R and a suitable conductor \/V in connection with thestandard S.

Rising from the base C and surrounding the pipes G and J is a pipe Xwhich is closed at the bottom and open at the top. In the space orchamber Y between the pipes G, J and X is a quantity of mercury Z inwhich the lower end of said' movable pipe J dips as a seal for thebottom thereof.

In the base C are the ports A and B-B, the same being in communicationwith the supply nipple C, the port A opening to the pipe'G and the portBB opening into the inner casing B.

The operation is as follows :It will be understood that the automaticgas controller is in suitable communication with the main gas supply andcan be situated at any desired point. In order to light the burner, thegas pressure from the main is increased and the gas passing through thenipple C enters the pipe G and passes through the ports B entering theinterior casing B and raises the vessel or float D. This carries with itthe pipe J and elevates the plate K,

and in so doing, it carries with it the arm L, the link M and raises thelever N carrying with it the pawl E, which engaging with one of theteeth of the ratchet 1 rotates the same turning the stem G so that thevalve is insuitable position for permitting the gas to flow through thepipe G, to the burner H, at the same time the standard S is elevatedcausing the contact piece 1 to contact with the piece carried on the rodR. This'closes the circuit in which the battery U is situated and thewire or filament it will glow, so that the gas will be ignited at theburner H, it being understood that the contact pieces will remain incontact while the pressure of the gas holds the same in position.

As soon as the burner is ignited, the pressure is suitably decreased andthe float l) and the parts carried thereby are lowered, but the pawl Ein lowering rides freely over the teeth of the ratchet F Withoutactuating the valve so that the gas continues to flow through the pipeG.

When it is desired to extinguish the gas, the pressure is againincreased, raising the float D with the parts which it carries andcausing the pawl E to again rotate the ratchet F and stem Gr carryingwith it the valve controlling the supply of gas to the burner, which isthus closed, so that the light is extinguished and the pressure isdecreased, the parts assuming their normal positions.

As the lower end of the vessel is situatedv in the mercury in thechamber E, the resultant seal prevents the gas that enters the easing Bfrom escaping or leaking into the interior casing A and the sealresulting from the movable pipe dipping into the mercury Y prevents thegas that enters the casing D from escaping or leaking into the pipe J.

D designates a pipe tor filling the chambers E and Y with mercury, thesame being in communication with the said chambers, so that by pouringmercury in said pipe it will be properly located in said chambers.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a casing, a stationarycontact piece supported thereby, a float, a movable contact piececarried by said float, a valve for controlling the supply of gas to theburner, means in suitable connection with said valve and said floatwhereby said valve is actuated by the movement of said float, and afilament movable with the movable contact and brought thereby to a pointadjacent the burner said contact pieces being held in contact while saidfloat is elevated,.whereby the circuit will be closed until the float islowered.

eeaeee 2. In, a device of the character described, a. casing, a contactpiece carriedthereby, a

float, a movable contact piece carried by said burner said contactpieces being held in con-' tact while said float is elevated, wherebythe cinauit will be closed until the float is lowere v 3. In a device ofthe character described, a casing, a stationary contact piece carriedthereby, a float, a movable contact piece carried by said float, abattery in suitable connection with said movable and said stationarycontact pieces, a filament in the circuit movable with the movablecontact and adapted to be located adjacent the burner when the float iselevated, and a valve suitably actuated by the movement of said float tocontrol the supply of gas to the burner.

4. In a device of the character described,

a casing, a stationary contact piece carried thereby, a float, a movablecontact piece carried by the said float and adapted to contact with thefirst mentioned piece when the float is elevated, a valve, aspring-actuated dog adapted to engage with said valve to rotate the sameupon the upward movement of said float and to freely. pass the same uponthe downward movement of said float, a filament movable with the movablecontact to be brought adjacent the burner by the raising of the floatand an electric circuit closed by said contact pieces and adapted toignite the gas at the burner, said contact pieces be ing held in contactwhile said float is elevated, whereby the circuit will be closed untilthe float is lowered.

5. In a device of the character described, a casing, a stationarycontact piece carried thereby, a float, a movable contact piece carriedthereby, a filament movable with the movable contact to be broughtadjacent the burner by the raising of the float said contact piecesbeing held in contact while said float is elevated, whereby the circuitwill be closed until the float is lowered, a valve controlling thesupply' of gas to the burner, a ratchet carried by said valve, and aspring actuated dog operated by the movement of said float and adaptedto rotate the valve upon the upward movement of said float and to freelypass the ratchet upon the downward movement of said float.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing, a stationarycontact piece supported thereby, a float, a guiding member for saidfloat with a seal for the same, a movable contact carried by saidguiding meniber, a filament movable with the movable contact to bebrought, adjacent the burner by the raising of the float, a valve forcontrolling the supply of gas to the burner, pivotal means connectedwith said guiding member, and connections between said pivotal means andthe valve stem for alternately opening and closing said valve bysuccessive upward movements of, the float.

7.-In a device of the character described, a casing, a stationarycontact piece supported thereby, a float, a guiding member for saidfloat with a seal for the same, a movable contact carried by saidguiding n1ember, a valve for controlling the-supply of gas to theburner, pivotal meansconnected with said iding member, connectionsbetween sai pivotal means and the valve stem for alternately opening andclosing said valve by successive upward movements of the float, a cagemovable with vthe movable contact, and a filament in said cage andmovable by the raising of the float to a point adajcent the burner.

8. In a device of the character described,

a casing, a burner mounted on said casing,

a contact adjacent said burner, a float in said casing, a contactcarried by said float, a gas supply valve for said burner, actuatingconnections between said valve and said float, a filament in circuitwith said float contact and located in close proximity to said burner,and means to raise said float to brin said contacts together and actuatesaid valve connections to open said valve.

9. In a device of the character described, a casing, a burner mounted onsaid casing, a contact adjacent said burner, a float in said casing, acontact carried by said float, a gas supply valve for said burner,actuating connections between said valve and said float, a filament-incircuit with said float contact and located in close proximity to saidburner, a cage inclosing said filament, and means to raise said float tobring said contacts together and actuate said valve connections to opensaid valve.

JOSEPH O. LANDES.

Witnesses WM. CANER WIEDERSEIM, C. D. MCVAY.

